Sweet Desserts
by Naomi Shadows
Summary: Monday at the cake shop and Roxas is waiting for his favorite customer. Short. Yaoi, AxelxRoxas
1. Sweet Dessert

**Sweet Dessert**

Leaning forward onto the hard countertop Roxas sighed longingly at the clock wishing the little hands would tick by faster. Mondays in the cake shop were particularly slow but he didn't mind. With no customers he could daydream in peace as he waited for time to pass by. He wasn't completely alone, after all Sora was back in the kitchen doing what he did best: crafting delicious cakes from some fantastic part of his imagination. His fascination with food was the reason Sora opened the shop in the first place. Roxas jumped at the offer of a free job and didn't mind the days it was slow since he could do whatever he wanted.

The shop was small and cozy with the sweet smell of baked goods wafting through the room all day long. Even after months it still made his mouth water, but his stomach wasn't on his mind anymore. Not today. Today his eyes followed the people outside the large glass window waiting for one familiar face to pop into view. It was almost time. His favorite customer was about to show up.

For the hundredth time he checked himself in the distorted reflection on the glass case housing the collection of cupcakes. He picked at the blonde hair he tried to style this morning, the cool breeze of the air conditioning constantly threatening to destroy his hard work. His fingers teased the locks hoping, just today, they'd be okay. Blue eyes stared back at him protesting at the constant worry. He didn't usually care how he looked but today his nerves were on edge and he couldn't control the constant gnawing for perfection in the back of his mind. So freaking tedious…

As if on cue, beckoned by his thoughts, a group of boys filed past the window. He could hear them coming they talked so loud, the array of deep voices slithering through the cracks of the door and drifting over the counter. He swallowed the knot forming in his throat and straightened up, trying to look busy. There was always a group, at least five, maybe even eight on some days, and they always wore the same uniform. They obviously went to the same school. High school? College? Roxas didn't know but he didn't care. It didn't hurt to look. He didn't want to ask and waste the precious moments they had together with useless questions like that.

Only one ever came inside and the bell above the door chimed at his arrival, making Roxas's heart skip a beat. He was so beautiful. Usually the shop attracted girls, a lot of girls, and they were nice to look at too… but this guy, he was different. He was tall, so much taller than Roxas, but seemingly the perfect height. His jacket was hanging open like it was always too hot outside, exposing the thin white shirt beneath with just a hint of tan skin from the neckline. The shirt clung unwillingly, hiding a defined body underneath like a present still wrapped up. Walking down the aisle he ran a large hand through his cherry red hair, combing it with his fingers but the wild strands never listened. The blonde double checked to make sure his mouth wasn't hanging open; he was always so breathtaking. When the taller man leaned against the counter he glanced over at him as if noticing him for the first time.

The elation inside was hard to bottle as he cleared his throat, trying to be nonchalant. "Hey Axel, how are you doing today?"

The redhead gave a wide smile, so sexy on those lips. "Coming to satisfy my sweet tooth as usual." He was leaning so far forward the necklace trapped beneath his shirt threatened to escape.

Roxas couldn't help but glance down, his eyes attracted to the sudden change in color. He tried to look away without making it obvious but he bit his bottom lip at the sight of the skin beneath. He needed to keep his hands busy… that would preoccupy his eyes. Moving towards the cupcakes and away from the unusual customer he spoke, proud his voice wasn't shaking from their momentary proximity. "What would you like?" His hand absently moved to the door handle.

Axel just smiled, the movement tugging gently at the corner of his mouth and he followed the boy with his eyes. He was very aware of the blonde's not so subtle feelings. He could hear it in the way he spoke, his voice catching ever so slightly after listening to Axel talk. It was like he was melting into his words, so aware, his attention captivated the moment he walked in the door. It was cute the way he pretended to look over papers or clean a spot that was never clean enough. Just cute. He was also aware of his friends in the window, talking loudly, barking at him to hurry up. He didn't care. He didn't come to the shop just for the cakes. "Surprise me." He liked to watch his movements, the way he opened the door and leaned in to grab one of the soft cakes, being so careful not to disturb the others. His slender fingers were always so delicate and gentle, like this cake was so much more important since it would be eaten by Axel. The thought spurred another smile.

Heart pounding, Roxas picked out a single cupcake, deciding between the many flavors in his head in seconds. He liked choosing a new flavor every time the redhead came in. By now he'd nearly had them all but he never said a word. He always trusted his choice. Surely it had nothing to do with the cake… not after so long. He didn't want to get his hopes up but the underlying thought still made him excited.

As usual Axel listened to the explanation of the treat, watching the blonde's hands as they placed it into a perfectly sized box. His gaze always made him nervous and for once he wasn't careful enough and his fingers didn't make it out without touching the icing.

He cursed himself, staring at the frosted finger like a traitor, but smiled awkwardly at his guest, trying to mask his feelings. "Sorry, I'll get you a new one." Any normal customer would look at him with disgust, not wanting some random guy's hand on their food. He should be wearing gloves but he was too distracted today and never put any on. He cursed himself again: idiot.

Before he could move away there was a firm grasp on his wrist as Axel pulled him back towards the counter and away from the cupcakes. "Don't worry about it." The redhead stuck the finger in his mouth and sucked on the digit, licking every last bit of frosting off. The frosting was sweet, but the flesh was even sweeter, soft and sensitive under the scrutiny of his hot tongue. He released the poor blonde after a moment, noticing the tremor running through his body.

Caught off guard by the assault it was all Roxas could do to keep his mouth closed. He was so confused about what was happening but he liked it. There was an uproar outside that brought him back to life and he was grateful when Axel's hand finally eased off of his wrist. A few of the boys were shoved up against the glass trying to see what was happening. They were getting rowdy, not surprising, but he didn't know why. Hopefully they just wanted to go home and didn't notice the exchange. Hopefully. Roxas struggled to control his body, finishing what he'd been doing and closing the box with the cupcake inside.

The blonde was blushing so hard his cheeks hurt and the redhead licked his lips. Now he was just being mean, teasing him, testing him, just to see what he'd do. His fingers were closing the box at a snail's pace and he tried with all his might not to look at the other man. Axel's eyes were roaming his face, fascinated by the way the blonde was biting his bottom lip. He had been doing that more often lately and the gesture was very sexy. Trying to preoccupy himself Roxas rang him up on the register. He was so funny when he was nervous. Axel straightened up to fish out his wallet.

The moment Axel looked away Roxas collected himself, slapping his cheeks. His brain was yelling at him to get a grip, nothing even happened. He just licked a little icing off his finger. It was just a finger. His tongue had been so warm though, and hard against the sensitive fingertip. The redhead handed him the money and he returned the change with a sigh.

Axel noticed the change in tone as he grabbed the little box. He used the opportunity to poke at him again. "What's wrong? Are you sad I'm leaving?"

Embarrassment flared up for a nanosecond but Roxas pushed it back down. He refused to turn into some swooning idiot. Thankfully it didn't take long to come up with a retort. "Actually I was wondering why you only come in on Monday?"

That's why Axel liked visiting him; he was always full of surprises. He could never predict what he was about to say. One minute he was embarrassed and now he was playing it cool. Something about this guy just made him excited. He couldn't even remember the day he'd realized Roxas was always on his mind. "I come here to see you, obviously."

They both fell quiet for a minute while Axel waited for a response. The blonde refused to get excited and leaned against the counter for the first time since his customer arrived. One hand touched his chin like he was thinking. "What, you think I'm only here on Mondays?" His expression was cool even though his legs were practically putty, his knees protesting against the weight of his body, threatening him to sit down. That almost sounded like an invitation. It just came out of his mouth… he didn't think it through…

Another smirk touched Axel's lips. "My mistake." With his free hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell, pressing at the keys rhythmically. "What time do you get off work?"

Silence. The tick tock of the clock on the wall was stifling all of a sudden. Roxas swallowed the knot in his throat and it was so loud he was sure Axel heard it. "What?" Squeaked out of his mouth and he cleared his throat and straightened up, attempting to cover up the complete surprise. "What time what?"

The redhead just raised an eyebrow like it was a perfectly reasonable question. "What time do you get off of work?" He pronounced each word so precisely there was no way Roxas could ignore him again.

What could he do? He just shook his head. "Uh… seven."

"Seven, gotcha." With a little wink the redhead moved towards the door, his friends outside back to harassing each other and passersby. He threw a wave over his shoulder as he left, the bell chiming one last time.

The moment he was outside his friends began to usher him in the direction of home and he stepped into rhythm with the horde, used to the noise and the hysteria. They complained loudly that he took too long but none of them really mind, they just liked to tease him. That's what friends were for. He protected his cake as they attempted to sabotage him but he wouldn't let them touch it. He'd eat it the minute they gave him the room. There was something to say about the cakes, they were delicious, but not as good as the boy who sold them.


	2. Sweet Seconds

**Sweet Seconds**

Time was torturing him. Roxas couldn't stop glancing at the clock even if only seconds had managed to tick by. More than once he thought about replacing the batteries, realized he was being crazy, and dismissed the idea. People came to buy treats now and then but there weren't enough to occupy his time. Even Sora seemed quiet today… he was definitely losing it, Sora was never quiet.

When seven finally approached the minute hand drummed loudly through the silence as his knuckles turned white. He released the counter from his unintentional death grip at 6:58 with a heavy sigh, waving his hands in the air like it might massage the sore joints. He was increasingly nervous now but he didn't know why. He didn't want to get his hopes up but his brain wouldn't really listen.

When did he ever listen to his own advice? Never, obviously.

He was so busy zoning out at the clock he hadn't even closed up the shop. There wasn't much to do but it would take more than two minutes… Trying to speed through the closing process he was finished, changed, and wishing Sora goodnight as soon as humanly possible. He didn't make it out the door without Sora chatting him up, like always, but he made it short. The brunette seemed to notice his insistence to leave.

The minute he stepped out the back door his heart sank. There was no red hair to catch his eye. No one was waiting for him. It was only a few minutes past seven… well maybe fifteen minutes past but that wasn't long… He was upset for no reason really… he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up. Why was he so damn excited in the first place? Like he was waiting for a date or something? He cursed himself all the way around the corner.

"What's with that face?"

The blonde jumped out of his skin at the sound of a voice. He heard him before he saw him but the redhead had been waiting around the corner for a while now.

He figured he would come out the back door. Axel had arrived ten minutes early and spotted the daydreamer leaning against the counter inside. He didn't even notice him walk past the window. His first thought was to check for a back door, easy enough to find, and before seven he took a seat on the bench near the building. It would have been creepy to wait near the door. He was use to people getting the wrong first impression of him. So he chose a place he could sit and still spot Roxas no matter which direction he decided to go. There was just that problem with his face like the blonde had just been dumped.

The initial wave of surprise passed but the hammering of his heart was hard to handle. As usual Roxas had jumped to conclusions, which would have been fine if Axel hadn't startled him and noticed the crappy face he'd been making. He didn't seem to know why but that didn't make him feel less embarrassed. It was worse being caught acting stupid by someone he liked. "Sorry that took so long."

Axel just shrugged, continuing the conversation without noticing the lack of an answer, not minding the wait either way. The time had passed quickly while he stewed over what to say. "You said seven. I assumed you'd be out a bit after that." Honestly all he had managed to do was go home, change, and head back. All he could think about was the time passing slowly before he had grown impatient and returned. He didn't want to look too anxious though. No need to mention that.

For the first time he realized Roxas had already changed. He wasn't wearing his work clothes and his usual white apron. He looked even more adorable in his real clothes and Axel stood up before the blonde could notice he was undressing him with his eyes. "So are you hungry?" He cleared his throat.

Roxas lit up. "I'm starving! You want to come to my house? I was thinking of making curry." Blinking several times he noticed the redhead's wide eyes and went over his words again. He just invited him over like they always hung out. Well, whatever, he hoped to end up there eventually. "Sorry, that probably sounded creepy. I didn't mean it like that."

Did he ask out of pure naivety? Axel loved the idea of going over to his house but that wasn't the safest idea. He would have trouble controlling himself if he was alone, especially if Roxas lived by himself. That was why he'd planned on going out to eat…

Maybe he could be good, just once, so he wouldn't scare him off. Going for the gentle approach, Axel smiled. "You can make curry?"

Roxas calmed down. "I can cook a little." Actually he could cook well enough to feed himself for years so he must have been doing something right. They hesitated to see who might lead the way until Roxas gave in and started walking. The thought of Sora stepping outside and finding them really cemented his decision to go. Axel seemed willing to follow.

A few steps away Axel laughed, still thinking about their awkward encounter. "Not creepy, by the way."

This spurred a smile.

It had only been a couple hours but somewhere along the line things really got out of hand. Roxas had taken the initiative and invited Axel over, partially by accident, but they ended up at the house either way. Axel marveled at the cute one bedroom apartment as Roxas started dinner, but time had sped up. Dinner had already passed and watching Axel eat had been amusing, but it had been too fast. He struggled to wash the few dishes there were, taking the time to dry them just to prolong his moment alone.

Now what were they suppose to do? Axel was in the other room watching T.V. laughing at all the appropriate times while Roxas listened. What could they do together? He thought of grabbing a couple beers but that seemed like a bad idea. He could hardly contain himself as it was and beer always made him forget his personal boundaries. Or it helped him forget other people's boundaries and he sure as hell planned on forgetting Alex's if the time came. But it was too soon.

The redhead struggled with similar thoughts all the while, staring at the T.V. but lost in his head. He was reading all the signs, watching his body language, but his mind was second guessing his usually firm understanding of human need. More than once it seemed like Roxas was restraining himself. Even now he was in the kitchen still doing the dishes. The sound of water had stopped quite some time ago so what could he be doing besides procrastinating?

There's obviously some attraction there.

When Roxas finally came back into the room Axel decided to just be himself. Whether that ended with him getting thrown out of the apartment or… well, whatever the outcome, he had made up his mind.

The blonde sat down at one end of the coffee table and he closed the distance between them, leaving the corner of the table in the way. "I almost forgot, I brought you something." He reached for his backpack which he'd placed on the floor by the table, opening it with an idea. "Close your eyes and hold out your hands."

A little unsure, Roxas set aside his suspicions when the redhead began digging in his bag. Innocent enough. Maybe he was repaying him for all of those cupcakes. He closed his eyes and sure enough a second later the sound of something familiar came to his attention. A candy wrapper was his best guess. He lifted his hands, cupping them like a little bowl, expecting the touch as Axel placed something in them. What took him by surprise was the warmth on his mouth from a kiss he never expected. He was so startled he even let his tongue inside, the taste of strawberry molesting his taste buds when a hard candy fell into his mouth. The sensation was not unwelcome but it left him frozen when Axel pulled away.

It was a trick. The candy was just a ploy really, an easy way for Alex to help Roxas relax and still let his intentions be cute enough. Nothing demanding. The reaction was worse than he expected. After pulling away he would have thought… something… anything might have happened. So far Roxas had only manage to close his mouth and knock the candy against his teeth, his eyes so wide he was clearly seeing nothing, vision blurred in some state of self-doubt.

The redhead had never been this nervous before. He found seducing people easy, most of them boring and not worth playing with in the end, but he was never nervous. With Roxas he was even starting to have feelings. Not like, I want to play with you feelings, but real feelings. At this point, with no reaction at all, he was starting to regret surprising him. Nervously he plucked out a candy for himself, his fingers moving to open it, when Roxas grabbed his hand.

"You like me?"

Not exactly the first thing he expected to hear. Axel laughed under his breath. "Obviously. Why else would I kiss you?"

Another surprise. The smaller boy lunged forward and attacked his mouth again. If he hadn't been prepared surely he would have fallen over in shock. Instead his arms were trapped trying to hold up his body while hungry strawberry lips molested his mouth.

When he came to his senses Roxas pulled away, putting distance between them and hugging his legs. "This is too fast." He was shaking his head so violently Axel feared he'd do something dumb, like fall backwards and knock himself out.

His hands attempted to grab his shoulders, to calm him down… anything was better than this random explosion of worry. "I'm sorry." He just couldn't think of anything else to say.

Big blue eyes met Axel's, filled with concern. "Don't be sorry." He sighed like everything was suddenly his fault. "I was just unsure. I mean, we haven't even known each other that long."

The only reaction he could muster was annoyance. "We've known each other for a while now. I've come to visit you every week for more than a year I bet." He couldn't actually remember but a year sounded good. That was a pretty long time for him to chase after the same guy.

Roxas wasn't seeing the same timeline, obviously. "Yea, but I don't even know anything about you. We only met for a few minutes a day." It's not like he didn't want to know more but what if he just wanted to get in his pants? What was the point of inviting him over in the first place then? Even his brain was arguing with him.

At least Axel was persistent, trying to make him understand. "Tell me what you want to know. I'll tell you everything." He made the mistake of crawling towards him on his hands and knees, not intending to seduce him, but the little chicken backed away. "I like you, Roxas. Please go out with me." He changed his approach yet again, bowing so his forehead touched the floor. If he was any _less_ threatening he would have turned into a fuzzy cat or something of the sort. That was the cutest thing he could think of that was irresistible. A cat… or maybe a plant. That was unthreatening. But he couldn't turn into either of those things.

It was silent for so long he ended up raising his head before anything happened.

Roxas was still staring down at him.

He didn't know what to say but it didn't hurt to ask again. "We can just start with dating right?"

"Yes," The blonde laughed, "we can start with dating."


End file.
